Motor for player-pianos.



C. FREBORG.

MOTOR FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 7, i914.

1,267,535. Patented May28,1918.

. 5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

effi/ MOTOR FOR PLAYER FIANOS.

APPLICATION FlLED IAN- I. i914.

1,267,535. Y Patented May 28, 1918;

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- l me C. FREBORG.

MOTOR FOR PLAYER PNOS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 7, I9I4.

Patented May 28,1918.`

C. FHEBORG.

MOTOR FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION man 1AN.1.1914A 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

wf/M7031@ Patented May 28,1918.

C. FREBORG.

MOTOR FOR PLAYER PIANUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.1, 1914.

Inl

CHARLES FREBORG, 0F KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS.

MOTOR FOR PLAYER-PLANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 7, 1914. Serial No. 810,873.

To all fro/wm it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES FREBORG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kankakee, in the county of Kankakee and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motors for Player-Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in player pianos and motors therefor, and has tor its principal object to provide an improved form ot' motor and controlling means especially adapted for use for driving the music reels in connection with a player piano or piano player.

Hitherto it has been customary in providingdriving means for the music reels to provide a plurality of bellows arranged side by side and operating to rotate a shaft. In my invention I provide an improved form oit' motor in which a plurality of operating units are circumterentially yarranged about a shaft which is rotated thereby providing, in effect, a rotary motor in which the plurality of successive impulses for each rotation of the shaft isy so great as to provide substantially smooth driving as opposed to the comparatively periodic or jerky rotation of the present day arrangements.l So far as I am aware, this arrangement is new when operating on a negative pressure or partial vacuum which is utilized in connection with such player actions.

Still another object is to provide a conf trolling valve in combination with the motor which will permit controlling of the speed thereof and I also provide, in connection with this valve, means to operate the same. said means being also arranged to throw the motor from driving to rerolling action, as will `be fully described.

Still another object is the construct-ion and arrangement of the motor supportingr structure which is designed to transmit the negative pressure or partial vacuum to the motor as well as to support the player mechanism.

Still another object is to provide means for automatically regulating the pressure transmitted to the motor from the bellows or similar mechanism so as to automatically maintain the speed of the motor constant for any adjustment of the Controllingivalve.

Other objects will be set forth and made apparent in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure lis a front elevation of the player mechanism showing the motor and the vacuumV line Fig. 2 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale showing the motor and reel driving mechanism, a rportion of the former being broken away and showing in detail the automatic pressure regulator;

Fig. 3 shows a vertical transverse section through a portion of av player piano showing my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section along the line 1 /l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the exterior of the motor and driving mechanism together with a portion of the valve controlling mechanism;

Fig. G is a detail section of a portion of the motor taken along the line 6 6 of Fig. 4.;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of the apertured sleeve of the motor distributing valve;

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the valve itself;

Fig. 9 is a perspective showing the opposite face of the valve;

Fig. l0 is a perspective of the crank shaft;

Fig. 11 is a perspective of the controlling valve.

Like numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings, in which;

15 designates a conventional form of vacuum producing apparatus such as footy operated bellows or the like and being preferably a pair of the same, which communicate with vacuum boxes or chamber 16 through tubes 15- in such wise as to maintain a constant partial vacuum or negative pressure in the boxes 16. Frein the latter lead the ducts or tubes 17 communicating with the upwardly extending tubes 18 at each side of the player. Smaller tubes 19 extend across between the tubes 18 and are in communication therewith. These tubes 19 are apertured, as indicated by numerals 19a and actuating pneumatics 20 are adjustably mounted thereon and communicatetherewith, as is described in a co-pending application. This structure does not form a part of my present invention and is merely described and shown for completeness.

Upwardly of thetubes 19 and extending Patented May 28, 1918.v

across and communicating with the. tubes 18, is the conduit 2l providing a negative pressure tube or conduit, as will be apparent. It is also to be noted that owing to this cross communication between the tubes 18 and consequently between the vacuumboxes 16, when unequal pressures obtain in the latter, these pressures will be substantially equalized in the tube 21, thereby serving to provide a substantially uniform negative pres sure therein. Brackets or arms 22- are clampedl upon or otherwise secured to the tube 2l which is comparatively rigid in con struction, and kthese brackets serve to support the roll chamber structure generally indicated by numeral This structure or traine comprises side walls Q3 and top and bottom 23h, the tracker bar 2st extending across between the side walls. Secured to the outsideot one side wall 23a, is the motor supporting trame providedV with the curved plate 2a carried by arms 2l", as clearly shown in Fig.V "1. This curved plate le closely ts a portion of the outer periphery of my motor indicated by numeral 25 to which it is secured by screws, rivets, or the like. Yllhis motor comprises a cylindrical or plint-l1 like casing 26 having one sidethereol3 open and the other side closed and centrally sunk. Located in the inner periphery ot this casing 2G are a plurality ot actuating ,units 2T comprising bellows each having one wall 27a comparatively thick andr tixed to the inner periphery of the casing by screws, glue or the like. These bellows are also formed with the wall` 27h, which is connected to the lirst named wall 2T by the pouch or diaphragm 27C of exible materials so constructedas to maintain one pair ot ends of the walls 27, 27h in close contact and to permit movement together and away of the opposite pair of ends as is ordinarily the case with bellows construe tion. The larger side wall 27E of each ot the bellows is provided with the aperture E217 l leading from one side thereoll partially through the same and communicating with the interior of the bellows, as is clearly shown in Fig. et, for example. Lugs 27e extend upwardly from one end oi the wall 27h of each ot the bellows ando'ne end of each connecting rod 28 is pivotally mounted therebetween upon a pin 29, as is clearly shown in Figs. '2 and Lhtor example. At their other ends these rods 28 are, pivotally mounted between a pair otspaced collars 30 upon the pins 3l, which also serve to hold thefcollars 30 in spaced relation. rllhe rods 28 are flattened adjacent their pivoted ends, as clearly shown in Fig. The collars 30 are rotatably mounted upon the l crank 32,which has the shaftV portions 32a,

32h secured thereto. .er rod 33 extends outwardly from the crank 32 opposite the spaced collars thereon, and a counter weight 34. is adjustably mounted thereon by `set screw El or the like, to counter-balance the weight oit' the spaced collars 30 and allied structure, when rotating. One of the connecting rods 2S is preferably non-pivotally secured at one extremity to the collars 0,

being pivoted at its other extremity to the bellows wall, as in the case ot the remaining y erted by the successiverodsQS upon theV collars 30. Owing tothe securing of said collars to one of the rods 2S indicated by numeral 28a in Fig. Q, rotation of the collars relative to the crank 321 is prevented and the successive pulls will oierate to rotate the shafts 32a, 32h, as will be apparent. A beveled pinion 35 is mounted on the shaft 32a outwardly ot the casing 26, which is centrally depressed, as indicated at 26, to provide a protected location for such pinion. rlhis pinion drives a berel'gear 3G, secured to shaft 37 whichV is journaled adjacent said gear in the bearing 38, in turn secured to the central portion of casing 26.

lt. is necessary to provide for proper distribution ot the negative pressure to the successively actuating bellows 27, and the :tollowing mechanism is provided for that purpose: A plate or diaphragm provided with a circular peripheral flange s0 lits into the casino' 2G, the iiange 0a being adapted to be secured thereto by screws or-the'like. rlhis plate t0 is centrally depressed, as indicated by numeral 40h, (see F ig. 4f), and radially extending dividing walls or partitions tO" extend from adjacent the central aperture i0 in the plate 40 to the flange 402l with which they may be constructed integra-l. The plate e() is further provided with apertures l0@ adapted to aline with passages 27 in the fixed walls 27a ot the bellows each oi? these apertures 4&0@ being located between a. pair ot dividing walls or partitions 40C. A packing ring Lll, provided with the apertures #l2 is inserted between the plate 40 and the fixed walls i'a'otthe bellows and this packing ring or strip all is adapted to tit around the inner periphery ot the casing Q6, as clearly shown in F ig. 4, the apertures e2 being adaptedto aline with the openings l0@ and passages 27d at the 'saine time preventing leakage between the plate etO and the bellows. l have shown the bellows 27 as having their iixed walls 27a connected or joined together to torni an annulus, this construction being especially adapted to provice ease in assembling andy disasse1n bling the structure and increasing the strength and rigidity of the same. A sleeve Ll5 lits in the aperture 40d of the plate 40 13@ and is arranged to extend outwardly there.

from. This sleeve is provided with the aperture or slot 45"L adjacent one end thereof and adjacent the other end thereof are provided a plurality of slots 45, each adapted to be located between the inner ends of a pair of partitions 40, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. A cover plate 47 ts on the open end of the casing 26, and a packing spider 48 fits between the same and the diaphragm 40, the spider 48 being constructed with the outer packing ring fitting between the cover 47 and the flange 40eL and also with radial strips adapted to contact with the parti-k tions 40C to prevent leakage between the same and the cover. Screws or the like may be provided to hold the spider, cover and. diaphragm in close relation whereby a plurality of air passages will be provided between adjacent pairs of partition walls 40C, each of these passages communicating at one end through an aperture 45b with the interior of the sleeve 45 and at the other end through the aperture 40e with the passage 27d of the bellows 27. Rotatably mounted in the sleeve 45 is a distributing valve 50 centrally bored, as indicated by numeral 502l j and having the grooves 50h, 50 between the ends thereof, and separated by the dividing wall 501.v The grooves 50b 50, each intercept a portion of the periphery of the valve 50, equal in extent to the periphery of the sleeve 45 which includes three of the apertures 45h. Tn other words, each of the grooves 50D, 50c is adapted to communicate with three of the bellows through three of the apertures 45h. It is to be noted here that l have shown my motor as comprising seven of these bellows, having found this number to be convenient and practical. I do not wish, however, to be restricted to this number since any other number' may be selected, as desired, it being advisable to have an odd numberfto avoid dead-centering effect. A sleeve 50f extends partly into the bore 5011, and a pin 50g extends thereacross. The shaft 32h is slotted at its end to fit over this pin, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4. A bearing strip or bridge 5l extends across the aperture 40l and is apertured to form a bearing for the shaft 82h, as is shown in Fig. 4.

lt will be apparent that when a negative pressure is applied to sleeve 45, after the valve 50 has been properly set` this partial vacuumy or negative pressure will operate to exhaust successive of the bellows 27 and thereby rotate the shaft 32h and shaft 32a. The former rotates the valve 50 and provides for the proper distribution of the negative pressure to the bellows. To provide admission of the air to the bellows when they are allowed to expand, Tprovide the aperture 50j in one end of the valve 50, communicating with the groove 50C. This aperture 50j furnishes communication between the groove 50c and the interior of the casing 26 between diaphragm 40 and inclosed end of the said casing. To permit free flow of air thereinto, I provide an aperture through the periphery of the casing, as indicated in dotted lines by numeral in F ig. 6. It will be clear from the above that as the bellows are expanded or permitted to expand, air may ilow through aperture 55 into the casing and through aperture 50j, groove 50c and corresponding aper tures 45h, it will be supplied to the respective bellows. Similarly, negative pressure in sleeve 45 communicates through apertures 45h therein through an aperture 50h in valve 50, with the groove 50; from thence the air willy be exhausted from the respective bellows. After the proper position of the valve has been determined and the pin 50g has been located and placed, the valve will be easily placed in correct position when the device'is being assembled. lf it is desired to reverse the rotation of the motor, the valve 50`may be rotated 180O relative to sha-ft 32 and the valve action will be reversed, causing consequent reverse rotation of the motor.

Extending upwardly from the tube 21 is the elbow 75 clamped thereon and in conimunication with the same through the aperture 21a. This elbow 75 is provided with the cross tube 76 extending therethrough and closed .at one end by a plug 76a. This tube 7 6 is provided with the aperture 7 6b in communication with the aperture 21a and opposite this aperture 7 6b is a slot or groove 70C. It will be apparent that tube 7 6 bymeans of the apertures 7 6b, 7 0C, furnishes al communication between the aperture 21;L and the upper portion of the elbow 7 5, in which is located the tube 77. A sliding plug 7 8 is mounted in the cross tube 76, adjacent the end of tube 76 opposite the plug '76". A bracket 79 is detachably secured to the tube 2l, some distance away from the plug 78 and a spring 80 extends between and is secured to bracket 7 9 and plug 78. This spring serves normally to retain plug 7S in position free of the apertures 76", 76C and is of predetermined strength so that as the negative pressure or partial vacuum becomes excessive in the system, the plug 78 will be subjected thereto and will be drawn partially acrossI the said apertures until such negative pressure balances the spring S0, whereupon the plug 7S will be held staytionary sol long as the pressure remains constant. The Spring 80 having been properlv selected and adjusted, the action of the plug will be to reduce the size of apertures 76", 7 6 for an increase in the negative presV` sure or partial vacuum so as to maintain approximately constant pressure in the tube 77 The Lipper end of the tube 77 is flanged,

and secured thereto is the casing 8l. Thisl casing is chambered and is` providedr with the outwardly extending elbow @incommunication with the; iiiteiioitlieieof.. A

diaphragm 83, is carried in the casing S1"` and Y this diaphragm` is` apertured, as indicatedbynume yal `83ste furnish communication between the tube -77 andthe interiorof casing 81'7 thisapcrture S3 being of peculiai' coniiguration, as Will, bel explainedl later.

cured tothe rod 86, upnf'ardly of the casing.,

81 is the crankST? which, at oneiend, iis'pivotally securcdto a controlling rod S8, (see Fig.. is provided With-thepins .orqstuds-S'T` The controllingfrod SS-is pivotally connected to a pivotally mounted bell crank S9, Whiclrhas its other arm `pivotally conneeted'to second rod 90, Whichinfturn is pivotally connected to one arm of another bell-crank 91. A third rod92 isfpivot-ally inountedat one endv to the-other arinpf bellcrank v91 and at its other end therod 02ispivotally mounted to anontrolling lever 9S having the engageable portion 93a andapivotally mounted 03D. rllhis engageable portion 93nis also adapted foruse asian indicating:member inl f tion to open or close the` apertureSB, the

valve being shown in full open position in Fig. 11. rllhe elboiv Sengages onefendof a tubetl `Whichis provided with acircularcap portion 96 -Which `fits. over and communicates with-the sleeve 4:5 through the aper ture 45a therein.

Itivvill be apparent, therefore, that through the tubes and conduitsldescribed above, the

negative pressure from duct Qllmafy be trans-v mitted tor'the sleeve-fandfromthence distributed to .the bellows 27 tofcause rotationV ofy the shaft'SQa and consequently the shaft 37, through the medium of beveled gears 35, 30; To regulate thespeed'ofthis motor, the lever 93 may be ope aftedto rotate the disk valve to vcover or uncover, more or less, the aperture 83a. thereby varying the amount of `airdmwn from thebelloivs 27 and operating tov va-ry the speed -ofthe motor.` `The in dications on.dial 94frwilllserve to gage the speed at which the motoris Vruiming to render selection thereof easy. The shaft 37 carries slidalolyA mountedlthereon', a pinion 100formed'vvith the groovedv portion 101 having the groove 101 therein. This pinion it itsopposite end thecrank Si".

nearest` 100 iszmouutedy to rotate with thexshaft 3T While capable of slidingy thereon. The' grooved-` portion 101 is provided onone face With the pin or. spur 101b projecting outivardly.y therefrom. A roll4 driving shafty extends through. one end Wall 23 of the reel chamber and is adapted to rotate the collecting; reel ri. 'lliisyshaft carries on the opposite side of theend WallQ?)n` al, gear 102v with which is` adapted toineshthe pinion 100 when in the position shown in Fig. 2, for example. Az forked arm 103 is-secured on the reciprocable rod 10land has its forked extremityfitting inthe groove 101a of pinion 100. sprocket wheel 105 is rotatably mounted' upon shaftif?. A driving :shaft 106 extends through-the endivall Qfof thereel chamber and is adapted to detachably' engage one end of music rollrB, as Shown in Fig. 2. Mounteduponthis shaft 10G, onthe opposite side of thewvall 23a isthe sprocket 10T in alinement with loose sprocketk 105 and a chain y108extends around and between these. sprockets.

lVhenthepiano is being played as is eus-A ternary, the reel A is positively, driven to draw thefvsheet of music fron'r the reel B across the tracker bar Qi by means off the engagement of pinion 100 with gear 102.l At

the sanietimethe sprocket 105 is running 9 freely and'only the movement. of the sheet music serves to rotatefthe roll B which is consequently, in'eifect, running free. When itis desired to re-roll the music, however, the rod 10i-maybe operated to draw the `pinion 100 outfof engagementlwith the gear 102 and backuntil thepin 101D contacts with a pin 105L carried kby and projecting outwardly from sprocket 105. In this posit-ion the pinion 100 isout ofuneshivith gear 102 :and is positively drivingthe sprocket 105 and this Will operate to positively drive the roll B in a direction revcrsetozthe rotation of reel A when 4the music is being played. The` rod 10i at its other end is securedto or formed-integral with the elbow 10ia'which is slotted zit-1011? to permit reciprocation relative'to the valve stemSG. rlhe elbow 101La is-I also provided with the outwardly extending'lugs 104C arranged for'movement by the: pins or studs 87a, the action beingas followerlVhen thelever 93 is-,moved to-starting position for playing, the corresponding pin 87a, through Contact with the corresponding lug 10i- Will slide elbow 10da over to cause consequent meshing of pinion 100 and 'gear 102, ycausing rotation of the reel A. As it is desired to increase the 'speed of the music, the indicator 93a is moved in the direction ofthe arrow on indicator 91, thereby opening to a greater extent the aperture 83a in valve casingSl, causing,`as explained above, an increase in the speed ofthe motor. When it 1s desiredito re-roll the music, the indicator 93a is pushed clear over to its limit oli travel in the direction of the arrow and the corresponding pin 87a will move the elbow 104a in the opposite direction to that described above, whereupon the pinion 100 will be drawn out of mesh with gear 102 and the pins 1011), 105l will contact so as to cause positive driving in a reverse direction of the roll B, as explained above, at the same time maintaining the disk valve 85 in full open position so that by means of the ratio of the sprockets 105, 107 and such full opening of the valve, the music may be rerolled at comparatively high speed. The

vdriving shafts for the reel A and music roll B. each have an extremity journaled in the bearing portions 110, 111, respectively, formed integral with the Jframe 24, as shown in Fig. 2 for example.

It is believed that the operation of my improved device will be sufficiently clear from the above to obviate necessity of further explanation.

It is to be noted that while I have shown and described my invention with more or less particularity, I do not wish to be restricted to such showing and description beyond the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a @asing, a rotatable shaft journaled in said casing, a plurality of bellows located about said shaft, a dividing wall located in said casing, said dividing wall being constructed of a plurality of partitions, each of said bellows being provided with a passage communicating with the space between a pair of said partitions, said casing being provided with a valve chamber in communication with said space between each of said partitions, a distributing valve rotatably mounted in said casing, a nega tive pressure line communicating with said chamber, said valve being adapted to throw successive of said bellows in communication with said vacuum line to cause collapsing of the former and being arranged to permit a supply of air to said bellows not in communication with said negative pressure line.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing, a rotatable shaft journaled in said casing, said casing being provided with a valve chamber, a vacuum line in communication with said valve chamber, a plurality of bellows located in said casing about said shaft and operatively connected thereto, said bellows being mounted on an annular wall and said wall being provided with a plurality of ducts communicating with the interior of said bellows, ducts in said casing connecting said valve chamber with said jpassages, a valve operatively secured to said shaft and located in said valve chamber, said valve being provided with a groove adapted to communicate with a plurality of said bellows, a second groove also adapted to communicate with a plurality of said bellows, said first named groove being in communication with said vacuum line and said second named groove being in communication with the atmosphere, whereb when said device is operating said valve wi l operate to cause collapsing of successive of said bellows and permit expansion of other of said bellows to cause rotation of said shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

CHARLES FREBORG.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. HEER, FRANK O. SCHNEIDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

